Popular Music in America 1934-1966

In the early 1930’s swing music was on the rise. Swing has a strong rhythm, usually with a fast tempo. It’s kind of a jazz fused with blues. Swing is usually played by a bigger band than most jazz is. Normally the bandleader has previously arranged the music, which discourages improvisation. Soon, swing developed it’s own style of dancing that was embraced more so by the youth than by anybody.
Below is an example of Swing music, played by Count Basie and his orchestra
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9CRmsW6tuH0


In the 1940’s, blues diversified to include rhythm & blues, better known as ‘R&B’. R&B is a merger of blues and country music.
Below is two examples of Southern R&B music by The Five Royales
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZVXYwenclY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jzdHgysGTQk&feature=related


Here is a fun example of a good blues song. The ‘main line’, or rhythm, you will probably recognize as it is still used today on commercials etc.
It is the legendary John Lee Hooker
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rOyj4ciJk34&feature=related


In the 50’s and 60’s pop music developed. The low price of recorded music stimulated demand and profits grew for the industry. Which in turn made the marketing of music more and more aggressive and so pop stars were created. Pop stars like Frank Sinatra, Rudy Vallee, and Tony Bennett.
Here are two examples of Frank Sinatra, early and late
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NlujPZ64ZvI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FLjwVTVnpNI
Here is an example of Tony Bennett
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZ6zVW3V1hc


My personal favorite performer of this type of music is Harry Connick Jr. I started listening to him kind of by accident about ten years ago and find his music refreshing after listening to the ‘same ol stuff’ on the radio everyday.

I have listened to ‘come by me’ over and over and over, never knowing there is a video and now that I know there is a video I still wont watch it. I prefer to envision the band playing on my own terms. I love this song.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rv9st_bY1Zs&feature=related

Below is a video of Harry Connick Jr playing a cover of a Louis Armstrong song
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GU6cf2NhfEA

posted by Rick Shiver